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Academic Year and Language of Instruction at Dutch Educational Institutions

The academic year in schools, colleges and universities in the Netherlands starts in September and ends in June. There is a clear system of holidays and public vacations to ensure that students get a break. Dutch as well as English medium courses are taught at Danish educational institutions.

Academic Year

Academic Session starts from 2nd September and ends on 30 June in the Netherlands educational institutes.

There is a long vacation from 15th July to 1st September each year for Danish educational institutions. Schools in the Netherlands have a summer holiday and around 1 to 2 weeks of holidays in a year.

Schools, colleges and universities are also closed during the public holidays and academic terms are only prevalent at the college and university level. Academic terms in higher educational institutions are generally divided into quadsemesters.

In elementary schools, summer holidays last for six weeks. The date of commencement of these summer holidays depend on whether the school is located in the northern, southern or middle provinces. As far as universities are concerned, there are longer holidays of about 2 months. This could include re-examinations. The holidays start the year in late August or early September. One week autumn holiday is provided in the second half of the month of October for all higher educational institutions except for research universities.

A 2 week Christmas holiday includes that of the New Year in the second half of December. There is also a one week spring holiday which occurs during the first fortnight of February which is at the time of the Carnival. May holiday of 1 to 2 weeks is provided around the King's Day which is 27th April and this may include the Ascension Dat. Schools, colleges and universities also remain closed during Good Friday and Easter. While the summer vacations are compulsory, the other holidays which are government stipulated can be adjusted by the concerned educational institution.

Medium of Instruction in Holland's Educational Institutions

Holland has around 2,100 English medium study programmes and courses. According to Study in Holland, the official study portal of The Netherlands, English is spoken pretty well in this country. But they also recommend that international students learn Dutch to enhance their study and living experience in this country.

Even starting a career in international countries is easier if students know Dutch, according to the portal. The portal recommends that students can start learning the language in their own country or take special language courses in Holland. There are specific language courses available for Erasmus students living in the Netherlands.

Courses in Dutch are offered at beginner, intermediate as well as advanced degrees or levels of difficulty. Students can learn Dutch at evening schools, libraries or council offices. There are even summer as well as special language courses in universities and educational institutions. The Dutch embassies can also be contacted to know more about learning the language. Students can also study at Neerlandistiek, which is devoted towards imparting courses in the Dutch language.

Conclusion

The academic year in Holland's educational institutions is neatly divided between work and leisure. The courses and medium of instruction at school is primarily Dutch, though English is widely spoken here. There are many English medium courses at university and college level.